I was researching "binging" and came across this on google. It sounded so much like my issues with eating for the last several months that I decided to go to a doctor to find out if this could be my problem.

Yup, this is what I have, confirmed by a profession today! It's stinks and I'm now using tools she gave me to work at getting my head back to a "normal" way of eating. I don't wake up in the middle of the night to eat, which is the only part of this syndrome I don't have, but all the rest of the "symptoms" I have including I just continue to eat everything in sight from dinner on! Usually meds are recommended but I'm going to give it a try without to see if I can beat this myself somehow with her advice/tools.

I ate breakfast this morning, something I hardly ever do but she said this is the start of being able to stop eating after my dinner. I need to get my calories in during the day so I'm not hungry at night or think I should be eating at night because I haven't eaten much during the day. After dinner time is the trouble time and when my non-stop eating starts so if I can set a goal to stop eating at 8 PM and have breakfast instead of waiting to eat until I'm hungry (left over behavior from doing IF WOE with very low calorie days) then I should be good to keep moving toward a goal of not eating/binging anymore after dinner.

I would love to get to the point where I can have one snack in the evening before 8 PM and be happy and full like most people are! I'm determined to beat this emotional and mental issue! I know it will help me to lose weight, also because I won't be overeating and then going to bed! Did you know that is how Sumo wrestlers eat to stay as large as they need to be?!

Anyone here have this problem? If so what have you done to try to get pass it and what tools work the best for you? I'm throwing out all the "salty snacks" that are triggers for me and will only have fruit, or some other healthy snack right before 8 PM. I'm aiming toward just 1 snack but I'm giving myself a little wiggle room to work up to this. Stopping eating at 8 is a good start for me!

Come join me on this thread and maybe we can lend a hand to each other to keep this eating disorder monster at bay!

1) Make sure I have enough fat in my dinner. I also do better with a hot dinner rather than something cold like a salad. And I eat late, just a few hours before bed. I know a lot of people disagree with this, but oh well. It works for me.

2) As soon as I finish eating, I brush my teeth. Nothing really tastes good to me after I've done that.

3) Drink ice water and/or tea if I want "something."

4) Burn incense. It helps to get all residual food smells out of the room I'm in and gets me to a calmer, quieter place.

5) Do something with your hands! I knit. Or kill bad guys in computer games. Anything that occupies my hands seems to help. If I'm just sitting and watching TV I tend to daydream about popcorn, etc.

I have had this problem for most of my adult life. Carbs make it worse. Now I try to eat dinner later, around 6-7 and that helps a lot. Sometimes I will have a little treat at night, but its usually mostly fat. That seems to satisfy me better than anything else. Going LC has been a lifesaver for me in terms of night eating.

i'm curious what meds she recommended? i have this syndrome too, inc the waking up in the middle of the night part. it's really hard to overcome. no doctor has ever mentioned meds to me before, tho.

She was talking about hormonal supplements if a chemical imbalance is found to be the cause, hormonal supplements can put your body back on track and create normal sleeping cycles or medicines that treat depression/anxiety. My doctor was wonderful and suggested I use the medication route only as a last tool if all else I'm trying falls.

She was talking about hormonal supplements if a chemical imbalance is found to be the cause, hormonal supplements can put your body back on track and create normal sleeping cycles or medicines that treat depression/anxiety. My doctor was wonderful and suggested I use the medication route only as a last tool if all else I'm trying falls.

ohh ok, thanks. i'm already on anti-depressants for almost 10 years now so maybe that's why it was never mentioned.

I have this habit of crawling into bed with a good book and a snack to eat. My way of relaxing before going to sleep. It used to be a bowl of ice cream. Now it's a 2-pack of string cheese. Not quite the same, but it works.

I have this habit of crawling into bed with a good book and a snack to eat. My way of relaxing before going to sleep. It used to be a bowl of ice cream. Now it's a 2-pack of string cheese. Not quite the same, but it works.

Wish I could do what you are doing! I can't just eat 1 snack. 1 turns into 100 if I let it, and believe me it's very, very hard not let it go this route, and sometimes it's like I have no mind and my stomach is a bottomless pit! It's very sad!

Well, day one is down with the stop eating at 8 PM tool! I actually stopped eating at 6 because I had work last night and when I got home at 9:30 I decided not to have that snack I was going to have because I just knew it would start me onto a eating frenzy.

I drank ice water w/lemon and watched a bit of my drama show and went to bed.

Woke up hungry this morning, (a first for me!) had a bagel thin and some peanut butter and (here is the part) I was full and satisfied and DIDN'T want to eat anymore afterward.

I'm curious if you think JUDDD played any causal role in developing NES. Were you consuming all of your calories in one evening meal on down days? Were you consuming a larger portion of your up-day calories in the evening? Just curious.

Interesting thread...I am a huge night-time snacker and kind of thought it was just me having no willpower due to stress, boredom, etc. It is amazing to me how much food I can eat - after I have already had a healthy, normal sized dinner. It's embarassing, to be honest.

I, too, have been trying to not eat anything (although I will chew gum, if needed) after 8 PM. Last night my stomach was absolutely growling by 10 PM, so I just went to bed.

I feel that my night-time snacking is the single biggest reason I have not been able to lose these few lbs I have gained back. Of course, I have all kinds of other excuses: 50+ year old hormones , weeks and weeks of business travel, and not to mention the Hurricane Sandy lbs I gained (and never lost) as we didn't have power for 2 weeks.

I'm curious if you think JUDDD played any causal role in developing NES. Were you consuming all of your calories in one evening meal on down days? Were you consuming a larger portion of your up-day calories in the evening? Just curious.

Thanks,
Stack

During my DDs on JUDDD I waited until late afternoon to eat my first "meal" of the day and looking back over my food diary in the later part of my JUDDD journey I see that once the eating started I continued until bed time. This did not happen until I was doing JUDDD for about 5 months. I would eat all low calorie foods, but lots food non the less. I do believe it was because I had to wait so long to eat on my DDs to get the most out of the little calories I had to last me throughout the day to be one factor in pushing me toward NES. I would be starving by the time I started to eat! I was and still am "afraid" of being hungry now, at least the hunger I felt on DDs and this had led me to overeating when I did start to eat.

And yes, I ate most of me calories in the evening on UDs. The problem was, again, that once I started my "meals" I didn't stop and on UDs there was a whole lot more calories to eat a whole lot more food. When I stopped counting those UD calories I really spun out of control and then couldn't reign myself in once it started.

So, in a nut shell...yes, I believe JUDDD opened the door to the NES/binge monster. This eating issue is one that I had no idea about and never had to deal with until this past year. It's freaked me out, to tell the truth!!

The fact is that any IF type of WOE does this to me again. I have proved it when I started JUDDD again in Jan, opened the door, got out of control again and then decided to try the 8 Hour Diet. This caused me to have a window that was 2 pm to 10 pm so I could do most of my eating at night again. I binged all the 8 hours! Then I switched to 5:2. Did great for the first 3 weeks then the NES started again. Saved all the 500 calories for dinner and afterward. Didn't start eating on these days until 3 to 4 PM and it was endless (I ate LOTS of very low calorie things so I would have lots to eat) eating at night again. Just can't do anything that is restrictive in time or as in a very low calorie WOE it seems.

I'm loosely watching calories now, tracking what I'm eating but not the calories until I done eating at 8 pm for the day. I start my day when I'm hungry, whether it be when I first get up or a bit later. I wait for a bit after I have eaten something to see if I want more. And I don't have seconds or more than I snack/dessert. The last 2 days when I have totaled my calories I am eating 1600 or less without even knowing it. Because I can eat when and what I want I eat when I'm hungry (did this most of my life until recently) and don't eat when I'm not.

NES is there, lurking right behind the door every night and I'm mindful now as never before. Food is my enemy and it never, ever had been before. I've been afraid to start to eat because of not being able to stop, but I know I have to eat so I am testing this and that and seeing what tools and suggestions I've been given by my Doctor may work and what info I gain from the internet and others with this same issue may help, and I am taking it one day at a time. Each day without NES is a good day and weight loss is not the focus now....getting healthy again mentally and physically is.

Hope that answered your questions and sorry it was so long winded....really tried to get my ideas, experiences and opinions out in a shorter way but......

Interesting thread...I am a huge night-time snacker and kind of thought it was just me having no willpower due to stress, boredom, etc. It is amazing to me how much food I can eat - after I have already had a healthy, normal sized dinner. It's embarassing, to be honest.

I, too, have been trying to not eat anything (although I will chew gum, if needed) after 8 PM. Last night my stomach was absolutely growling by 10 PM, so I just went to bed.

I feel that my night-time snacking is the single biggest reason I have not been able to lose these few lbs I have gained back. Of course, I have all kinds of other excuses: 50+ year old hormones , weeks and weeks of business travel, and not to mention the Hurricane Sandy lbs I gained (and never lost) as we didn't have power for 2 weeks.

It took me months and lots of trial a error to figure out something was just "not right" with my eating habits and then going to the Doctor on Monday confirmed it WAS a problem, and not just the many excuses, like you, I had been giving myself. I have NEVER had a eating issue before so this is so totally new and I just didn't even know it was a problem until I started gaining weight and REALLY looked at when and how much I was eating!

I will say that since my monster now has a name and it's been confirmed that my eating IS an issue and not just something I was thinking up in my head I not only feel better but more in control, like my devil has a face and I can do something about it. One day at a time fighting a demon I had no idea about and now learning the tools to conquer it once and for all!

On a lighter note: I live in Lakewood so we are just about neighbors! I hope you were not too damaged by Sandy and your life is back to semi-normal or even better yet normal again!

I'm curious if you think JUDDD played any causal role in developing NES. Were you consuming all of your calories in one evening meal on down days? Were you consuming a larger portion of your up-day calories in the evening? Just curious.

Thanks,
Stack

Now I'm curious...do you have thoughts regarding the connection? I ask because I started IF (Fast 5) several weeks ago and within a week or so, started having this relentless desire to eat everything in sight after my evening meal. It was so weird.

So I started researching and decided I must have a leptin issue. Currently I am doing a leptin reset as I try to get this overwhelming evening desire to eat under control.

I had not made any connection between the IF and this until reading through this thread. I am very interested in your thoughts about it....

It took me months and lots of trial a error to figure out something was just "not right" with my eating habits and then going to the Doctor on Monday confirmed it WAS a problem, and not just the many excuses, like you, I had been giving myself. I have NEVER had a eating issue before so this is so totally new and I just didn't even know it was a problem until I started gaining weight and REALLY looked at when and how much I was eating!

I will say that since my monster now has a name and it's been confirmed that my eating IS an issue and not just something I was thinking up in my head I not only feel better but more in control, like my devil has a face and I can do something about it. One day at a time fighting a demon I had no idea about and now learning the tools to conquer it once and for all!

On a lighter note: I live in Lakewood so we are just about neighbors! I hope you were not too damaged by Sandy and your life is back to semi-normal or even better yet normal again!

Thanks for the note Linda! As I mentioned, this is all very interesting to me. And I agree, once you have a name for your "demon" and you realize it truly is an issue - it is so much easier to do something about it.

And yes, we Ocean County, NJ folks need to stick together!! Jersey Strong.

P.S. Another night in the book with no night-time snacking. One day at a time, folks, one day at a time.

Now I'm curious...do you have thoughts regarding the connection? I ask because I started IF (Fast 5) several weeks ago and within a week or so, started having this relentless desire to eat everything in sight after my evening meal. It was so weird.

So I started researching and decided I must have a leptin issue. Currently I am doing a leptin reset as I try to get this overwhelming evening desire to eat under control.

I had not made any connection between the IF and this until reading through this thread. I am very interested in your thoughts about it....

Yes, I do believe it was JUDDD that started this issue for me, as much as I LOVED doing JUDDD! I was the biggest fan of this WOE (still am) and it was tough for me to finally admit that JUDDD or any IF WOE was going to be an issue for me. I never had an eating problem before, and only gained the 20 pounds I wanted to get off from stress from a divorce and family issues, PLUS eating yucky junk food again from having no time to cook for myself, and not because I was binge eating. Didn't even know the signs and symptoms until I realized I had a problem and it was more than just overeating some! . Did some research, saw a Doctor, and here I am....NES person and very about it. All this started 5 months into JUDDD, and then again whenever I tried other IF WOE. This led me to believe JUDDD was the start and any other IF was going to do the same thing.

The times in the last 2 months that I started a IF WOE again it just let the monster out of the closet (or food pantry) again and AGAIN I had to fight the demon! Each time I also gained weight so here I sit 23 pounds over what I want to be and working so hard to get back into a normal WOE!

Today even thinking that I need to stop eating at 8 PM gave me the thoughts about eating a lot today so I wouldn't be hungry after 8 tonight! I checked that thought and asked myself if I was REALLY hungry, and did I really want something to eat, and since the answer to both at the time was no, I didn't eat. It was fear of being hungry later that made me want to eat now and lots of food not being truly hungry!

So you see ANY IF or restrictive WOE makes my thought go to being hungry later so I think to stock pile food! But of course this just starts an eating frenzy and whether I stop at 8 or not I'm still eating WAY too much food!

I have 2 things going on here; fighting the night eating monster AND re-programing my brain to listening to my hunger and not just eating because later I won't be able to eat and I'll be hungry! It's still the IF mentality that is here and needs to go away!

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiz

Thanks for the note Linda! As I mentioned, this is all very interesting to me. And I agree, once you have a name for your "demon" and you realize it truly is an issue - it is so much easier to do something about it.

And yes, we Ocean County, NJ folks need to stick together!! Jersey Strong.

P.S. Another night in the book with no night-time snacking. One day at a time, folks, one day at a time.

WTG and thanks for posting this inspiration for me and others! One day at a time, you are so RIGHT!!!

I have 2 days down, no eating after 8 and now I'm working on not eating too much during the day! A journey of any kind begins with 1 step and takes many steps to get to the end when it's for change and the betterment of us!

Beeb, I'm sorry you are going through this, but happy that you are getting help. I love JUDDD as well, but I just couldn't make it work long term. I was always scared of being hungry (which I was scared of before JUDDD as well and had mentioned in a few posts). My DDs were ok, but UDs became free for alls. I was maintaining, but I didn't feel healthy or in control, so I had to stop.

I've had binging problems in the past (sweets). I'm also an emotional eater. The two go hand in hand for me. It's how I deal with my emotions and stress.

I suggest reading some books on the topic - Brain over Binge is a great place to start. I found a lot of help/comfort in that book. It helped set the stage for understanding the deep roots of the issue so that I could move forward.

I can also suggest books on emotional eating if you think you'd like to explore a bit more. I'm also reading up on how to change my thinking towards food - I want to think like a thin person. This involves "re-programming" my brain to not be so food focused...to be ok if there is food left on the plate...to be able to get involved with other things and "forget" to eat. It is starting to work. Like, on Sunday, after working out, I stopped by Home Depot for some plants for my garden. I was hungry and hadn't eaten a good lunch that day and it was about 4pm. On the drive home, I was planning what I wanted to eat. However, when I got home, I got right to getting the plants/seeds in my garden because I wanted to do it while it was still light out. I didn't even realize until I was done (about 45 minutes later) that I still hadn't eaten... It was surreal...honestly, I have never done something like that... Now that is not to say I don't have "bad" moments, I do...but the are becoming less and less.

Lastly, another thing that helped me, was to make eat better/bigger meals for breakfast and lunch. This is something I naturally do anyway, but if I don't because I get busy, I tend to eat more and snack in the evening, which I don't like to do. I get reflux and I can't sleep if I my stomach is too full at night. Also, I started eating more filling foods, which include a lot of organic/natural/unprocessed foods. Try popcorn (nearly naked popocornopolis brand is great and low cal) and a cheese stick, salted almonds and an apple - those sorts of things. Since sweets are my issue, I still have "sweets" like dark chocolate, but if I get something and it unleashes the sugar monster, then I can't have it anymore (at least for now - I'm hoping to gain control). Dark chocolate is ok in most forms and I can stick to just 1 serving.

Beeb, I'm sorry you are going through this, but happy that you are getting help. I love JUDDD as well, but I just couldn't make it work long term. I was always scared of being hungry (which I was scared of before JUDDD as well and had mentioned in a few posts). My DDs were ok, but UDs became free for alls. I was maintaining, but I didn't feel healthy or in control, so I had to stop.

I've had binging problems in the past (sweets). I'm also an emotional eater. The two go hand in hand for me. It's how I deal with my emotions and stress.

I suggest reading some books on the topic - Brain over Binge is a great place to start. I found a lot of help/comfort in that book. It helped set the stage for understanding the deep roots of the issue so that I could move forward.

I can also suggest books on emotional eating if you think you'd like to explore a bit more. I'm also reading up on how to change my thinking towards food - I want to think like a thin person. This involves "re-programming" my brain to not be so food focused...to be ok if there is food left on the plate...to be able to get involved with other things and "forget" to eat. It is starting to work. Like, on Sunday, after working out, I stopped by Home Depot for some plants for my garden. I was hungry and hadn't eaten a good lunch that day and it was about 4pm. On the drive home, I was planning what I wanted to eat. However, when I got home, I got right to getting the plants/seeds in my garden because I wanted to do it while it was still light out. I didn't even realize until I was done (about 45 minutes later) that I still hadn't eaten... It was surreal...honestly, I have never done something like that... Now that is not to say I don't have "bad" moments, I do...but the are becoming less and less.

Lastly, another thing that helped me, was to make eat better/bigger meals for breakfast and lunch. This is something I naturally do anyway, but if I don't because I get busy, I tend to eat more and snack in the evening, which I don't like to do. I get reflux and I can't sleep if I my stomach is too full at night. Also, I started eating more filling foods, which include a lot of organic/natural/unprocessed foods. Try popcorn (nearly naked popocornopolis brand is great and low cal) and a cheese stick, salted almonds and an apple - those sorts of things. Since sweets are my issue, I still have "sweets" like dark chocolate, but if I get something and it unleashes the sugar monster, then I can't have it anymore (at least for now - I'm hoping to gain control). Dark chocolate is ok in most forms and I can stick to just 1 serving.

Thank you for this info and your caring!! I have been thinking about the Brain over Binge book but my problem is not a "true binge" as my Doctor said but a eating problem where I just don't feel full and it seems to be caused because of having to had to wait for a long period of time when I first woke up to eat, as I did on my DDs or within the 8 Hour Diet window. This seems to have screwed around with my mind and caused the me to fear hunger!

I remember the days I use to "forget" to eat! It was because food was not a priority, and the fear of being hungry did not excess for me because I ate when I was hungry and didn't when I wasn't. There were no restrictions, food or time wise so I just ate to be fed and healthy, not to just feed!

The foods you suggested do nothing to fill me up, and fat/protein does nothing at all to keep me full. It never has and thus the reason LC was SO hard for me! The example that some of the food you mentioned would do nothing is here: I decided 1 month ago to only eat fruit at night. I started with an apple, then 2, then 2 oranges, then a bunch of grapes, a banana, a pomegranate, and ended the night with berries. This was all consumed in a 2 hour time frame! And the sad thing is I didn't even realize I ate all that until my DH pointed it out to me as I was eating the bowl of berries. I was shocked!! And NO, eating fat/protein instead of the fruit would NOT have done anything different! This was when I decided it was a problem I could not handle on my own and decided to seek medical help. From what I have read a binge is when you just eat and eat even when you are full. I am never full or think I'm not full which is the problem and THIS comes from the fear of being hungry later or the next day! If I could understand the "I'm full" and listen to it, as I use to, I would be fine. And night eating wouldn't be an issue, I'm very sure. This is what I'm working on; ARE YOU FULL, LINDA? And when I can truly say "YES" and walk away from food then I will know I'm doing well!

Some will say that hunger is something that isn't so bad. For me, it's just terrible and it brings the fear back that I'm going to stay hungry if I don't just eat and eat! Not a good thing!!

I've been re-reading this thread. I am a night-time picker. I snack and sample and just-this-bite all night long. I'm not hungry, and it's all low-carb... But it's non-stop if I'm not careful.

Since I read this I'm being hyper-aware of my night-time habits. I brewed up a big pitcher of herbal tea (because I'm also trying to quit artificial sweetener which means no more Mio) and drank that all last night. It helped. I'm doing it again tonight.

Being hungry at night generally means that I'll have a loss the next day. Not always, but usually.

I have been considering IF, but if this may be an off-shoot, I may have to reconsider.

I think I have this issue too, I also get up during the night and hit the nuts most of the time. I do GREAT until after dinner then the binge monser is knocking ALL night and i try to white knuckle it. It is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Hard!!

I've been re-reading this thread. I am a night-time picker. I snack and sample and just-this-bite all night long. I'm not hungry, and it's all low-carb... But it's non-stop if I'm not careful.

Since I read this I'm being hyper-aware of my night-time habits. I brewed up a big pitcher of herbal tea (because I'm also trying to quit artificial sweetener which means no more Mio) and drank that all last night. It helped. I'm doing it again tonight.

Being hungry at night generally means that I'll have a loss the next day. Not always, but usually.

I have been considering IF, but if this may be an off-shoot, I may have to reconsider.

Thank you for posting this thread.

You are welcome and glad you found this interesting. I do want to say that IF is a great WOE and if you don't have binge type issues or any other kind of ED you should do wonderful on IF. It really is great for us and it's very healthy when our minds don't cause issues. Please don't let my thread here stop you from trying all the wonderful IF WOE. You may find that it is a good fit for you!

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhbyrd

I think I have this issue too, I also get up during the night and hit the nuts most of the time. I do GREAT until after dinner then the binge monser is knocking ALL night and i try to white knuckle it. It is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Hard!!

Jeannie

It really does stink and it's so hard BUT there is power in numbers and maybe we can help each other?! I know just finding out what my monster really was has made a big difference PLUS posting this thread and finding there are other out here in LCFs land with the same problem has made me feel less of a freak and more "normal"!

I'm finding and using tools, suggestions and advice that I have found and taking it one day at a time. What really is helping is knowing I'm not alone!

I've been reading a bunch tonight and I think I want to try it. JUDDDD may not be the right choice for me, but I think IF is. I like the idea of a window that closes. I've been stalled for a while and this sounds like what I'm doing to break the stall, anyway.

I've been reading a bunch tonight and I think I want to try it. JUDDDD may not be the right choice for me, but I think IF is. I like the idea of a window that closes. I've been stalled for a while and this sounds like what I'm doing to break the stall, anyway.

Thank you for the reply. And you are most certainly NOT alone!

I would love to hear how you are doing so please keep us informed here on this thread if you try IF! Like I said IF IS a great WOE and I'm sure you may love it as I did at one time!

3 nights in a row with NO snacking!! And not coincidently, I have seen a steady drop on the scale this week. That's what I call incentive.

That is wonderful! 3 nights for me too as of last night, and keeping track of what I'm eating is showing me how much I must have been overeating before, also and I plan to keep this up for now to keep myself in check until I can get the "eat only when hungry, stop when full" mentality I use to have back again!

I, too am down on the scale this week so far and THIS is a wonderful side benefit!! I'm finding it getting easier not thinking about eating after 8. As a matter of fact I WAS thinking of having something as a small snack last night right before 8 but instead had coffee, which is what I REALLY wanted after all and not a snack once I stopped and asked myself if I was REALLY hungry and if so what did I want! Coffee was the answer and I'm so glad I finally listened to ME again like I use to!